Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the merits of establishing an independent commission to set the rates of allowances for local councillors in England.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Local authorities are responsible for their own scheme of allowances. Each local authority must have an Independent Remuneration Panel to make recommendations about allowance levels and the decisions are rightly made locally. This ensures that allowances are reasonable, proportionate and reflect local circumstances. We think decisions should remain at the local level.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) economic, and (2) social, impacts on central London boroughs of reforms to the local government funding system; and whether they plan to review the reforms on an ongoing basis.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

This Local Government Finance Settlement is our most significant step yet to make English local government more sustainable. The government is making good on long overdue promises to fundamentally update the way we fund local authorities. As a result of the fair funding review reforms, nine in ten councils will receive funding that broadly matches their assessed need by the end of the multi-year Settlement, up from around a third before our reforms.

The vast majority of councils in London will see a real-terms increase between 2024-25 and the end of the multi-year Settlement. Outer London boroughs will see the biggest increases in available Core Spending Power over the multi-year Settlement.

Details for the multi-year Settlement allocations for each of the 32 London councils are published in the Core Spending Power tables, available here (and attached): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/core-spending-power-table-final-local-government-finance-settlement-2026-27-to-2028-29

The government published its equalities impact analysis for the Fair Funding Review reforms as part of the consultation response, published August 2025 here (and attached): Fair Funding Review 2.0 government response.

We continue to review the wider local government finance system to ensure it remains fit for the future and delivers value for taxpayers. The government will continue to use the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement process to consult on relevant decisions for future years.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the merits of granting local authorities and the police greater powers to regulate aggressive street beggars and other disruptive or antisocial behaviours by members of the street community.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

As we work to deliver the National Plan to End Homelessness, one principle must be clear – no one should be criminalised for simply rough sleeping. That is why we have repealed the outdated Vagrancy Act 1824. The legislation did nothing to target the root causes of homelessness.

Through the Crime and Policing Act, we have introduced replacement measures where the repeal of the Vagrancy Act would have left gaps in the powers available to the police. This includes an offence of facilitating begging for gain that is intended to address organised begging, which is often facilitated by criminal gangs, exploits vulnerable individuals, and can undermine the public’s sense of safety. We are also making our streets and neighbourhoods safer by strengthening the powers available to the police and other agencies to tackle anti-social behaviour. Our new Respect Orders will give local agencies stronger enforcement capability to tackle the most relentless adult anti-social behaviour offenders.

Where there is harm or anti-social behaviour, local areas should act, using proportionate enforcement, where necessary. The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police, local authorities and other local agencies with a range of tools and powers that they can use to respond to anti-social behaviour. The powers in the 2014 Act are deliberately local in nature, and it is for local agencies to determine whether their use is appropriate in the specific circumstances.

We will publish updated statutory guidance, alongside an Outreach Toolkit to provide advice on designing and delivering services, including the role of enforcement.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the merits of granting greater powers to local authorities to evict antisocial tenants from social housing.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Social landlords, including local authorities, already have a range of powers and enforcement tools to tackle anti-social behaviour including powers to evict perpetrators. We expect landlords to use those powers promptly and proportionately, putting the needs of victims at the heart of their response.

The Renters’ Rights Act, which received Royal Assent in October 2025, will strengthen the grounds for eviction due to antisocial behaviour, allowing landlords to begin possession proceedings immediately for both mandatory and discretionary ASB‑related grounds.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the merits of sharing HMRC data with local authorities to facilitate the identification of unregistered short-term lets.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government is taking action to manage the impact of short-term lets on local areas. This includes making fair and progressive changes to the tax system, by abolishing the furnished holiday lets tax regime and increasing the higher rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax on additional dwellings from three percentage points above standard rates to five percentage points above standard rates. In addition, we are empowering Mayors to introduce a visitor levy on short-term overnight accommodation in their region. We are considering what additional powers we might give local authorities to enable them to respond to the pressures created by short-term lets.

The government expects landlords to take active steps to tackle fraud and ensure social housing is used fairly – this may include taking legal action.

Further, the government has commissioned a review exploring how effectively social housing providers manage their stock, including tackling issues such as fraud. Findings will be published later this year.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the merits of banning online platforms from hosting or promoting short-term lets of local authority-owned property.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government is taking action to manage the impact of short-term lets on local areas. This includes making fair and progressive changes to the tax system, by abolishing the furnished holiday lets tax regime and increasing the higher rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax on additional dwellings from three percentage points above standard rates to five percentage points above standard rates. In addition, we are empowering Mayors to introduce a visitor levy on short-term overnight accommodation in their region. We are considering what additional powers we might give local authorities to enable them to respond to the pressures created by short-term lets.

The government expects landlords to take active steps to tackle fraud and ensure social housing is used fairly – this may include taking legal action.

Further, the government has commissioned a review exploring how effectively social housing providers manage their stock, including tackling issues such as fraud. Findings will be published later this year.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the merits of requiring online platforms to disclose the number of nights a property is let to local authorities.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government is taking action to manage the impact of short-term lets on local areas. This includes making fair and progressive changes to the tax system, by abolishing the furnished holiday lets tax regime and increasing the higher rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax on additional dwellings from three percentage points above standard rates to five percentage points above standard rates. In addition, we are empowering Mayors to introduce a visitor levy on short-term overnight accommodation in their region. We are considering what additional powers we might give local authorities to enable them to respond to the pressures created by short-term lets.

The government expects landlords to take active steps to tackle fraud and ensure social housing is used fairly – this may include taking legal action.

Further, the government has commissioned a review exploring how effectively social housing providers manage their stock, including tackling issues such as fraud. Findings will be published later this year.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the merits of requiring owners to obtain permission from their local authority before letting a property on a short-term basis.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government is taking action to manage the impact of short-term lets on local areas. This includes making fair and progressive changes to the tax system, by abolishing the furnished holiday lets tax regime and increasing the higher rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax on additional dwellings from three percentage points above standard rates to five percentage points above standard rates. In addition, we are empowering Mayors to introduce a visitor levy on short-term overnight accommodation in their region. We are considering what additional powers we might give local authorities to enable them to respond to the pressures created by short-term lets.

The government expects landlords to take active steps to tackle fraud and ensure social housing is used fairly – this may include taking legal action.

Further, the government has commissioned a review exploring how effectively social housing providers manage their stock, including tackling issues such as fraud. Findings will be published later this year.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the merits of granting local authorities greater powers and resources to prevent the misuse of short-term let accommodation.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government is taking action to manage the impact of short-term lets on local areas. This includes making fair and progressive changes to the tax system, by abolishing the furnished holiday lets tax regime and increasing the higher rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax on additional dwellings from three percentage points above standard rates to five percentage points above standard rates. In addition, we are empowering Mayors to introduce a visitor levy on short-term overnight accommodation in their region. We are considering what additional powers we might give local authorities to enable them to respond to the pressures created by short-term lets.

The government expects landlords to take active steps to tackle fraud and ensure social housing is used fairly – this may include taking legal action.

Further, the government has commissioned a review exploring how effectively social housing providers manage their stock, including tackling issues such as fraud. Findings will be published later this year.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 8 May 2025 (HL6763), what progress they have made in tackling money laundering through cash-based high street businesses such as American candy stores and souvenir shops; whether they plan to legislate to introduce new powers for (1) the National Crime Agency, (2) local authorities, or (3) HMRC, to tackle such activities; and whether they will grant additional financial resource to enable effective enforcement.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

Tackling high street criminality is a priority for this Government. That is why, on 19 May, the Government announced a £30 million crackdown targeting cash intensive business such as candy stores and souvenir shops, over three years. This includes dedicated funding for an enhanced law enforcement response supporting the National Crime Agency, HMRC, Trading Standards and others, and the creation of a new cross-government High Street Organised Crime Unit to tackle this threat. The Unit will identify what more is needed – from stronger powers to better coordination – to respond to this criminal activity and stop it from happening in the first place.

As part of the Government’s work on this issue, the Government is currently consulting on extending the duration of Closure Orders to 12 months, to ensure that criminal businesses can be shut down for longer where appropriate.

Further details about the £30 million package can be found here: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2026-05-19/HCWS32

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the merits of restricting, or banning, repetitive protest marches in order to prevent undue restriction on the activities of residents, businesses, and visitors.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government is committed to upholding the right to lawful protest while ensuring the public are protected from serious disruption or harm.

Under Sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 police have the power to impose conditions on protests where necessary. Under Section 13 of the Act, where a chief officer assesses that conditions will not be sufficient to prevent serious public disorder, they can seek an order prohibiting for a period not exceeding 3 months all public processions in that area. The decision to prohibit processions under Section 13 is exceptional and must be agreed by the Home Secretary.

In the Crime and Policing Act 2026, Section 165 requires police to consider the cumulative impact of repeated protests when assessing serious disruption to the life of the community. This may result in conditions being imposed on the timing or route of recurring protests to reduce repeated disruption to residents, businesses and visitors. This provision came into force on 29 June.

Lord Macdonald of River Glaven KC led a review of public order and hate crime legislation which considered if existing powers appropriately balance protecting public safety and upholding the right to protest. The review was submitted to the Home Secretary at the end of May and she will review the report in detail before setting out the Government’s formal response and publishing the report.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of the proposed overnight visitor levy will go to local authorities; and what assessment they have made of the potential effects of the levy on the hospitality and hotel sectors.

Answered by Lord Livermore

Mayors will decide whether to introduce a levy and, if so, will consult on specific proposals, including how revenue will be used to support growth. This will help them to find an appropriate balance between supporting local economic priorities, including tourism, ensuring a levy is affordable, and providing stability and certainty for businesses. Impacts will depend on local decisions and we expect Mayors to publish a summary of the consultation results and their response, including a final prospectus, and an impact assessment.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment, if any, they have made of the impact of the introduction of a land value tax on (1) residents, (2) the local economy, and (3) house prices, in central London.

Answered by Lord Pitt-Watson - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The current UK property taxes are an important source of revenue for both the Exchequer and Local Authorities. They raise over £75 billion each year to help pay for essential public services. Any reforms to the property tax system would need to carefully consider positive or negative implications for the Exchequer, Local Government finances, taxpayers and the wider economy. The government keeps all taxes under review.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to give councils more control over the funds generated from business rates from their respective areas.

Answered by Lord Pitt-Watson - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Local Authorities already retain a significant share of business rates income. At Autumn Budget 2025, the government extended existing 100% business rates retention pilots in Cornwall, the West of England, and Liverpool City Region for a further three years, to 2028-29. The government is also developing further proposals for fiscal devolution for Mayoral Strategic Authorities. Further details will be set out through the fiscal devolution roadmap at Autumn Budget 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that local authorities and agencies are sufficiently resourced to tackle those who engage in repeated anti-social behaviour and shoplifting; and what steps they are taking to ensure that those who do so cannot continue to engage in those activities without consequence.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB) is a priority for this Government and a key commitment in the Government’s Plan for Change.

The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 already gives social landlords, the police and local authorities a range of powers and tools to tackle anti-social and criminal behaviour, which are deliberately broad in nature to enable flexibility and local discretion in their use.

The Government is further strengthening powers available to police and other agencies through the Crime and Policing Act. The introduction of Respect Orders, a preventative civil order to address sustained and/ or highly disruptive ASB, will give local agencies stronger enforcement capability to tackle the most relentless adult ASB offenders and will be able to prohibit a wide range of behaviours.

We are also increasing the upper limit for fixed penalty notices for breaches of Community Protection Notices and Public Space Protection Orders from £100 to £500, increasing the time a dispersal direction can be implemented for from 48 to 72 hours and giving registered social housing providers the power to issue closure notice.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether eviction for anti-social behaviour is a realistic prospect under proceedings brought by public landlords; and whether social tenants who become victims of anti-social behaviour are adequately protected by the law.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the noble Lord to the answer given on 16 July 2026 to Question UIN HL1654 (attached) on powers available to social housing landlords to tackle anti-social behaviour.

The police, local authorities and social landlords may already apply for a Civil Injunction under Section 1 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 to prevent behaviour that is causing housing-related nuisance and annoyance.

Through our Crime and Policing Act, which achieved Royal Assent in April, we are making our streets and neighbourhoods safer by strengthening the powers available to the police and other agencies to tackle anti-social behaviour. Our new Respect Orders, which social landlords will be able to use where the ASB directly or indirectly relates to or affects its housing management functions, will give local agencies stronger enforcement capability to tackle the most relentless adult ASB offenders. Respect Orders will be in force from 26 October.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to introducing a hybrid business rate which combines a reduced property business rate with a modest digital business rate levied on online sales using the existing VAT system.

Answered by Lord Pitt-Watson - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government has already started reforming the Business Rates system. At Budget, the government introduced new permanently lower multipliers for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties. These new multipliers are worth nearly £1 billion per year and benefit over 750,000 properties.

The government is paying for this through a high-value multiplier on the top one per cent of most expensive properties. This includes many large distribution warehouses, such as those used by online giants. The high-value multiplier is 33 per cent more than the multiplier for small RHL properties.

This is in addition to the support package, worth £4.3 billion, that the government introduced at Budget to protect ratepayers seeing large overnight increases in bills. As a result, over half of ratepayers see no bill increases in 2026/27, including 23 per cent whose bills go down

In addition, the government has announced that pubs, clubs and live music venues will benefit from 20% relief from April 2027 on top of the 15% relief and 2-year real-terms freeze in bills announced earlier this year.

Regarding a tax levied on online sales, while tax policy is kept under review, evidence received from a consultation in spring 2022 under the previous Government on the case for an Online Sales Tax suggested that such a tax would have been extremely complex to design and implement and create undue administrative burden for businesses. This included challenges of defining the boundaries between online and in-store retail, including ‘Click and Collect’ orders. Stakeholders also expected it would lead to higher prices for consumers.

Found: Declarations of interest as of 31 July 2026 Baroness Andrews No relevant interests declared Lord Bailey of Paddington

Found: 8th Meeting, held at 10:30am on Tuesday, 14 July 2026 Present: Baroness Andrews Lord Bailey of Paddington

Found: Apologies and notices Apologies were received from Lord Bailey of Paddington, Baroness Miller of Chilthorne

Found: 10.45 am Watch the meeting Members present: Lord Gascoigne (The Chair); Baroness Andrews; Lord Bailey of Paddington